You don't need to be a DC superfan to realize that Oz Cobb—better known as the Penguin—is kind of a big deal right now. But honestly, if you’re just jumping into the HBO series without a refresher, you might feel like you walked into the middle of a mob war without a vest. This isn't just another superhero spin-off; it’s a direct bridge. It’s gritty. It’s dirty. Most importantly, it picks up approximately one week after the events of Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022).
If you're wondering what to know before watching The Penguin, the first thing is that Gotham is literally underwater. The Riddler didn’t just spill secrets; he blew the sea wall. The city’s infrastructure is a wreck. People are displaced. In this vacuum of chaos, Colin Farrell’s unrecognizable version of Oswald Cobb sees a ladder. He’s not a kingpin yet. He’s a mid-level guy with a limp and a massive ego, looking at a city in ruins and seeing a business opportunity.
The Power Vacuum Left by Carmine Falcone
The most crucial plot point is the death of Carmine Falcone. John Turturro played him in the film as the "Roman," the shadow ruler of Gotham who kept every politician and cop in his pocket. Now he’s dead. Riddler took him out.
When a guy like Falcone dies, the underworld doesn't just find a peaceful replacement. It fractures. Oz was Falcone’s right-hand man, the guy running the Iceberg Lounge, but he was never "family." He was an asset. Now that the head of the snake is gone, Oz thinks he can step up, but the Falcone crime family has other ideas. You’ve got Sofia Falcone, Carmine’s daughter, returning from a stint in Arkham State Hospital. She is a wild card. If you expect a typical "damsel in distress" or a secondary villain, you’re wrong. Sofia is the emotional and terrifying heartbeat of this power struggle.
The dynamics are messy. Oz is playing multiple sides. He’s trying to manipulate the Falcones while simultaneously dealing with their rivals, the Maronis. Salvatore Maroni is still in Blackgate, but his influence hasn't faded. You’ll see Clancy Brown taking over the role of Sal, and he brings a certain weathered gravity to the part. Basically, Oz is a guy in the middle of two giants, trying to make them crush each other so he can stand on the pile of rubble.
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Forget the Caped Crusader (For Now)
Let's address the elephant in the room. Robert Pattinson’s Batman is not the focus here. In fact, Matt Reeves and showrunner Lauren LeFranc have been pretty clear that this is a character study of a villain, not a superhero show. You won’t see the Bat-Signal every ten minutes.
Gotham feels different in this series. It’s more intimate. In the movie, we saw the city through Batman’s eyes—the rooftops, the shadows, the high-level corruption. Here, we’re in the gutters. We see the "Drops" drug epidemic up close. We see the poverty in Crown Point, a neighborhood devastated by the floods. This is where Oz finds his protégé, Victor Aguilar. Vic is a kid who lost everything in the flood and ends up as Oz’s driver/errand boy. Their relationship is the weird, twisted core of the show. It’s not a mentor-student thing in a "heroic" sense; it’s Oz molding a kid into a criminal because Oz is lonely and needs someone he can control.
The Transformation of Oswald Cobb
Why the name change? In the comics, he’s Oswald Cobblepot. In this universe, it’s Oz Cobb. It sounds more grounded, more "Brooklyn mobster," and less "Victorian caricature." Colin Farrell spends three hours in the makeup chair every day to look like a man who has been beaten by life and came back for more.
His physicality is everything. He has a clubfoot—hence the "Penguin" nickname he hates—and he carries a lot of weight. But he’s fast. He’s sharp. Most people get him wrong by thinking he’s just a thug. He’s a strategist. He understands human insecurity because he’s fueled by his own. He wants respect. He wants his mother, Francis Cobb, to be proud of him. His relationship with his mom is actually one of the most important things to know before watching The Penguin. She’s aging, she’s struggling with dementia, and Oz is obsessed with providing for her. It’s the one thing that makes him human, and also the thing that makes him most dangerous.
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Gotham's "Drop" Problem and the Economy of Crime
In The Batman, we saw people using these glowing 44.cal vials called "Drops." It’s a narcotic that people drop into their eyes. With the city flooded and the police force in shambles, the Drop trade is the primary source of income for the gangs.
Oz wants to revolutionize how this drug is distributed. He’s looking for a new way to manufacture it that doesn't rely on the old Falcone warehouses. This isn't just flavor text; the logistics of the drug trade drive a lot of the conflict in the first half of the season. It’s very The Wire meets The Sopranos. If you’re looking for "Biff! Pow! Bam!" action, you might be disappointed. This is a slow-burn crime drama about supply chains, loyalties, and backstabbing.
A Quick Refresher on the Timeline
- Day 0: The Riddler assassinates Carmine Falcone and bombs the sea walls.
- Day 7: The events of The Penguin begin. The city is still in "Emergency Mode."
- The Future: This series is confirmed to lead directly into The Batman Part II.
The stakes are surprisingly high for a TV show. What Oz does here will dictate the state of Gotham when Bruce Wayne eventually puts the suit back on.
The Visual Language of the Series
The cinematography shifts slightly from the movie. Greig Fraser’s "orange and black" palette from the film is replaced by something a bit more varied, but still incredibly dark. It’s damp. You can almost smell the mold and the salt water through the screen.
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Director Craig Zobel (Mare of Easttown) brings that same grounded, gritty realism to the first few episodes. He focuses on the faces—the sweat, the scars, the crooked teeth. It makes the violence feel heavier. When someone gets shot or beaten in this show, it isn't "movie violence" where they fly across the room. It’s awkward, messy, and loud. It reminds you that despite the comic book origins, these are just desperate people doing terrible things to each other.
Why Sofia Falcone is the Real Threat
Cristin Milioti plays Sofia, and honestly, she steals every scene she's in. You need to know that she was sent to Arkham for being the "Hangman" killer—though the show plays with the idea of whether she actually did it or if her father framed her to get her out of the way.
She is the foil to Oz. Where Oz is loud, impulsive, and "street," Sofia is calculated, wealthy, and deeply traumatized. Their chemistry is electric because they both know they’re being underestimated. The Falcone men think Oz is a joke and Sofia is "broken." Watching them realize how wrong they are is the best part of the narrative.
Actionable Steps for the Best Experience
To get the most out of the series, don't just put it on in the background while you're scrolling on your phone. It’s dense.
- Rewatch the last 30 minutes of The Batman. Focus on the scene where Falcone is killed and the subsequent flooding. It sets the literal and figurative stage.
- Pay attention to the background news reports. The show uses radio and TV broadcasts to explain the political state of Gotham (like the mayoral transition to Bella Reál).
- Track the "Cobb" name. Notice how Oz reacts when people call him "Penguin" versus "Oz." It tells you everything you need to know about his standing in the room.
- Look for the "Drops." The drug trade is the indicator of who is winning the war. Whoever controls the supply controls the streets.
This show is a rare example of a spin-off that actually justifies its existence. It enriches the world Matt Reeves built and turns a "gimmick" villain into a complex, terrifying protagonist. By the time you reach the final episode, your perspective on the Gotham underworld will be completely flipped.
The most important takeaway is that The Penguin functions as a standalone crime epic, but its real power lies in how it bridges the gap between the 2022 film and its upcoming sequel. Watch it for the performances, especially Farrell and Milioti, but stay for the meticulous world-building that makes Gotham feel like a real, breathing, rotting city. If you want to understand the future of DC cinema, you have to start in the sewers with Oz Cobb.